Meanings
plural dangers
- countableuncountableExposure to likely harm; risk of death or serious injury.
There's plenty of danger in the desert.
4 more examples
Danger is a good teacher, and makes apt scholars.
1821, William Hazlitt, “Essay IX. The Indian Jugglers.”, in Table-Talk; or, Original Essays, volume I, London: John Warren, […], →OCLC, page 187The Owl is flying high, frightening to the eye. The Rattler is nearby, Cool is on the fly. Danger is his business.
1966, “Cool McCool (theme song)”, Bernie Green (music) (Cool McCool (television series)), performed by Bob McFaddenWe determined that the car driver’s transportation of multiple teen passengers, limited driving experience, and likely impairment from effects of cannabis at the time of the crash adversely affected her judgment of the danger of entering the intersection in front of the approaching combination vehicle.
2024, NTSB, Intersection Crash Between Passenger Car and Combination Vehicle, Tishomingo, Oklahoma, March 22, 2022Huntingdon's ferocity makes the reaction of staff all the more brave. To move towards danger when others are fleeing is the definition of bravery in my book. To place yourself in danger to protect others.
2025 November 12, Philip Haigh, “High praise for rail staff's courage and clear thinking”, in RAIL, number 1048, page 50Synonyms: peril
- countableuncountableAn instance or cause of likely serious harm.
1st September 1884, William Gladstone, Second Midlothian Speech Two territorial questions […] unsettled […] each of which was a positive danger to the peace of Europe.
- countableobsoleteuncountableMischief.
We put a Sting in him, / That at his will he may doe danger with.
1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i] - countableuncountablemainly outside USrail transportThe stop indication of a signal (usually in the phrase "at danger").
The north signal was at danger because of the rockslide.
- countableobsoleteuncountableAbility to harm; someone's dominion or power to harm or penalise. See in one's danger, below.
You stand within his danger, do you not?
c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 1801 more example
Covetousness of gains hath brought [them] in danger of this statute.
1551, Thomas More, “(please specify the Internet Archive page)”, in Raphe Robynson [i.e., Ralph Robinson], transl., A Fruteful, and Pleasaunt Worke of the Best State of a Publyque Weale, and of the Newe Yle Called Utopia: […], London: […] [Steven Mierdman for] Abraham Vele, […], →OCLC - countableobsoleteuncountableLiability.
Thou shalt not kyll. Whosoever shall kyll, shalbe in daunger of iudgement.
1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew - countableobsoleteuncountableDifficulty; sparingness; hesitation.
I shall make danger, sure.
1652, John Fletcher, The Wild-Goose Chase2 more examples
They of Coloyne made grete daunger to lete passe the oost thrughe the Cite at brydge.
1500, MelusineI made daunger of it a while at first, but afterward beyng persuaded by them..I promised to do as they would haue me.
1570, A. Dalaber, J. Foxe Actes & Monuments - UKcountablederogatoryuncountableA contemptible person, especially one seen as perverted or mentally ill.
Pineapple and pizza. ONLY JOKING YOU FUCKING DANGER.
2017 July 28, Gary Ogden, “Ridiculous food combinations that are actually really tasty”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)1 more example
Why did the chicken cross the road? "To try and get away from you, you absolute danger. I've heard all about you posh boy Etonians and farmyard animals"
2019 July 31, Oonagh Keating, quoting Stephen Patten, “We asked you to caption a photo of Boris Johnson holding a chicken – our 19 favourites”, in The Poke
present singular third person dangers · participle present dangering · participle past dangered · past dangered
- obsoleteTo imperil; to endanger.
The sides o'th' world may danger. Much is breeding
c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii] - obsoleteTo run the risk.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounExposure to likely harm; risk of death or serious injury.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latindominus“lord, master”
- Vulgar Latin*dominiārium“authority, power”
- Old Frenchdangier
- Middle Englishdaunger“power, dominion, peril”
- Englishdanger
From Middle English daunger (“power, dominion, peril”), from Anglo-Norman dangier, from Old French dangier, alteration of Old French dongier (due to association with Latin damnum (“damage”)) from Vulgar Latin *dominiārium (“authority, power”) from Latin dominus (“lord, master”). Displaced native Old English frēcennes.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Vulgar Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans gevaar
- gevaarexposure to likely harm
Ancient Greek κίνδυνος
- κίνδυνος (kíndunos)exposure to likely harm
Arabic خَطَر, خَطَر
- خَطَر (ḵaṭar)exposure to likely harm
- خَطَر (ḵaṭar)instance or cause of likely harm
Basque arrisku
- arriskuexposure to likely harm
Bengali বিপদ
- বিপদ (bipod)exposure to likely harm
Bulgarian опа́сност, запла́ха
- опа́сност (opásnost)exposure to likely harm
- запла́ха (zapláha)instance or cause of likely harm
- опа́сност (opásnost)instance or cause of likely harm
Catalan perill
- perillexposure to likely harm
Chinese Cantonese 危險 /危险
- 危險 /危险 (ngai⁴ him²)exposure to likely harm
Chinese Mandarin 危險 /危险
- 危險 /危险 (wēixiǎn)exposure to likely harm
Czech nebezpečí, nebezpečí
- nebezpečíexposure to likely harm
- nebezpečíinstance or cause of likely harm
Danish fare, fare
- fareexposure to likely harm
- fareinstance or cause of likely harm
Dutch gevaar, gevaar
- gevaarexposure to likely harm
- gevaarinstance or cause of likely harm
- bedreiginginstance or cause of likely harm
Esperanto danĝero
- danĝeroexposure to likely harm
Estonian oht, hädaoht
- ohtexposure to likely harm
- hädaohtexposure to likely harm
Finnish vaara, uhka
- vaaraexposure to likely harm
- uhkaexposure to likely harm
- uhkainstance or cause of likely harm
- vaarainstance or cause of likely harm
French danger, péril
- dangerexposure to likely harm
- périlexposure to likely harm
- dangerinstance or cause of likely harm
German Gefahr, Gefahr
- Gefahrexposure to likely harm
- Gefahrinstance or cause of likely harm
- Bedrohunginstance or cause of likely harm
Greek κίνδυνος, κίνδυνος
- κίνδυνος (kíndynos)exposure to likely harm
- κίνδυνος (kíndynos)instance or cause of likely harm
Hebrew סַכָּנָה, סַכָּנָה
- סַכָּנָה (sakaná)exposure to likely harm
- סַכָּנָה (sakaná)instance or cause of likely harm
Hindi जोखिम, ख़तरा
- जोखिम (jokhim)exposure to likely harm
- ख़तरा (xatrā)exposure to likely harm
- विपदा (vipdā)exposure to likely harm
- प्रमाद (pramād)exposure to likely harm
- संकट (saṅkaṭ)exposure to likely harm
- विपत्ति (vipatti)exposure to likely harm
- खतरा (khatrā)exposure to likely harm
- परेशानी (pareśānī)instance or cause of likely harm
Hungarian veszély
- veszélyexposure to likely harm
Icelandic hætta
- hættaexposure to likely harm
Indonesian bahaya, bahaya
- bahayaexposure to likely harm
- bahayainstance or cause of likely harm
Irish contúirt, dainséar
- contúirtexposure to likely harm
- dainséarexposure to likely harm
- contúirtinstance or cause of likely harm
- dainséarinstance or cause of likely harm
Italian pericolo, pericolo
- pericoloexposure to likely harm
- pericoloinstance or cause of likely harm
Japanese 危険
- 危険 (kiken)exposure to likely harm
Korean 위험
- 위험 (wiheom)exposure to likely harm
Latin periculum
- periculumexposure to likely harm
Latvian briesmas, bīstamība
- briesmasexposure to likely harm
- bīstamībaexposure to likely harm
Lithuanian pavojus
- pavojusexposure to likely harm
Malay bahaya
- bahayaexposure to likely harm
Māori tatamate, mōreareatanga
- tatamateexposure to likely harm
- mōreareatangainstance or cause of likely harm
Norwegian Bokmål fare
- fareexposure to likely harm
Polish niebezpieczeństwo, zagrożenie
- niebezpieczeństwoexposure to likely harm
- zagrożenieinstance or cause of likely harm
Portuguese perigo, perigo
- perigoexposure to likely harm
- perigoinstance or cause of likely harm
Romanian pericol, primejdie
- pericolexposure to likely harm
- primejdieexposure to likely harm
- pericolinstance or cause of likely harm
Russian опа́сность, опа́сность
- опа́сность (opásnostʹ)exposure to likely harm
- опа́сность (opásnostʹ)instance or cause of likely harm
- угро́за (ugróza)instance or cause of likely harm
Scottish Gaelic cunnart, cunnart
- cunnartexposure to likely harm
- cunnartinstance or cause of likely harm
Slovak nebezpečie
- nebezpečieexposure to likely harm
Spanish peligro, discrimen
- peligroexposure to likely harm
- discrimenexposure to likely harm
- peligroinstance or cause of likely harm
- discrimeninstance or cause of likely harm
Swahili hatari, hatari
- hatariexposure to likely harm
- hatariinstance or cause of likely harm
Swedish fara, fara
- faraexposure to likely harm
- farainstance or cause of likely harm
Tagalog panganib
- panganibexposure to likely harm
Tamil அபாயம், ஆபத்து
- அபாயம் (apāyam)exposure to likely harm
- ஆபத்து (āpattu)exposure to likely harm
Thai อันตราย
- อันตราย (an-dtà-raai)exposure to likely harm
Turkish tehlike, muhatara
- tehlikeexposure to likely harm
- muhataraexposure to likely harm
- tehlikeinstance or cause of likely harm
- muhatarainstance or cause of likely harm
Ukrainian небезпе́ка, небезпе́ка
- небезпе́ка (nebezpéka)exposure to likely harm
- небезпе́ка (nebezpéka)instance or cause of likely harm
- загро́за (zahróza)instance or cause of likely harm
Urdu خَطْرَہ, جوکِھم
- خَطْرَہ (xatra)exposure to likely harm
- جوکِھم (jokhim)exposure to likely harm
Vietnamese nguy hiểm
- nguy hiểmexposure to likely harm
Welsh perygl
- peryglexposure to likely harm
Yiddish געפאַר
- געפאַר (gefar)exposure to likely harm
Zulu ingozi
- ingoziexposure to likely harm
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with danger
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
danger. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/danger
“danger.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/danger. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “danger,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/danger.
Source: danger on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.